Dear Governor Phil Murphy, State Senate President Nicolas Scutari and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin,

CarePoint Health is a beacon of hope for Hudson County's underserved population, providing essential community health care services at its safety net hospitals for a population that has few other options. Charitable, empathetic and quality-driven care is essential to our mission, but economic conditions mandate additional state funding to support this approach.

Mounting inflationary pressure combined with escalating charity and uncompensated care demands across the system have placed unprecedented challenges on the economic viability of our hospitals.

Our non-profit status makes us eligible for state budget funds and discretionary aid which can significantly enhance our ability to serve the community.

Hudson County’s state legislative delegation has championed CarePoint’s cause, but our needs are great and our ability to continue to provide the same level of care will no longer be sustainable if we do not receive additional funding.

The state of New Jersey, through the state Department of Health, distributed $10 million that was allocated to CarePoint Health in the 2023 budget. While this is a step in the right direction, CarePoint Health is seeking at least $100 million in state appropriations and a $30 million Governors Grant in order to continue operating at an optimal pace that fulfills our mission to treat every patient that comes to a CarePoint hospital.

The situation is becoming increasingly dire: 

• The total American Rescue Plan Act distribution given to the New Jersey hospitals was nearly $700 million by the end of 2023, yet CarePoint Health System with two safety net hospitals had received zero dollars up until December 15th 2023 when CarePoint received $10 million.
•  Since the beginning of COVID-19, CarePoint's emergency rooms and hospitals have seen around 60,000 charity patients, 200,000 Medicaid patients and accepted 12,000 homeless patients. Charity-based Neighborhood Health Centers have seen close to 42,000 patients.
• Additionally, our ERs and Hospitals care for more than 12,000 mental health patients annually, including the only inpatient adolescent psychiatry unit in the region at Hoboken University Medical Center.
• Overall, annually, our ERs see almost 100,000 patients, the hospitals perform 11,000 surgeries and admit more than 22,000 patients, including 2,200 mental health admissions.

Hudson County is home to nearly 70,000 residents who lack health insurance, as well as approximately 80,000 undocumented immigrants. When these residents need health care, they come to CarePoint’s safety net hospitals and they are never turned away — but that spirit of altruistic health care access cannot be sustained without state funding support.

We urge our state leadership to recognize this need and allocate appropriate funding from the state budget and any available discretionary funds towards CarePoint’s community health initiatives. By signing this petition, you are not only supporting a noble cause but also advocating for better healthcare services in Hudson County.

Please sign this petition today and help support CarePoint’s mission to continue providing care to our underserved communities.